Noble
Noble is one of the 14 Hero Abilities available in Master of Magic. A Hero with the Noble ability has no Upkeep Costs whatsoever. Instead, while this Hero is under your employ, he/she contributes exactly to your treasury at the start of each and every turn. The Noble ability has only one level - there is no such thing as "Super Noble". On the other hand, the higher the Hero's Upkeep Costs would've been without this ability, the more valuable it is for that Hero, since it saves more money. 3 Heroes (of which 2 are Champions) possess Noble by default. No fewer than 24 other Heroes may occasionally acquire Noble, thanks to Random Abilities! Description The majority of Heroes are, in simple terms, mercenaries plying their trade. They'll work for you, but only as long as you pay them for the effort. However not all Heroes consider their deeds a "job". For various reasons, a Hero may decide that your cause is just, and ask for no compensation. In fact, such Heroes are often so devout that they will contribute whatever donations they receive or whatever treasures they acquire directly to their employer. Even the most evil Heroes may occasionally do so - presumably because they believe their employer's ultimate goals (known or otherwise) will benefit them in the long run. Effect The Noble ability is quite simple compared to other abilities. While all other Heroes require a certain Upkeep Cost to be paid for their maintenance in at the start of each turn, the Noble Hero does not require any such upkeep. Instead, at the start of each and every turn while the Noble Hero is under your employ, he/she will contribute exactly directly to your treasury. Therefore, instead of taking payment, the Hero pays you. The higher the Hero's default Upkeep Costs, the more valuable the Noble ability is for that Hero. For example, a Hero who normally requires per turn instead gives per turn, so the total benefit from the presence of the Noble ability is . If the Hero would normally require per turn, the total benefit from Noble would be . This extra income can be very welcome, especially during the early game. Remember that you only get the extra while the Noble Hero is alive and under your employ. If he/she is killed off or dismissed, the extra income disappears. It is therefore usually a better idea to keep Nobles away from combat. Noble has no effect on the Hero's Hiring Cost, only on his/her Upkeep Costs. Improvement Table Noble is one of the few Hero Abilities that does not improve with Experience. It is already very profitable nonetheless, and is just another reason to keep Noble Heroes away from combat. Heroes with Default Noble There are exactly 3 different Heroes that possess the Noble ability by default each time you play the game: B'Shan the Dervish Elana the Priestess Sir Harold the Knight Of the above, B'Shan is the only Non-Champion. He is so weak overall that most players will only hire him for the Noble ability, which can boost income significantly during the early stages of the game. Noble as a Random Ability Many Heroes may occasionally acquire Noble as one of their Random Abilities. The Noble ability is found in all Random Ability categories. Any Hero with at least one Random Ability pick that does not already possess Noble may occasionally acquire it at random. There are no fewer than 24 different Heroes in the game that may do so: ''* It is currently unknown whether Torin can actually acquire the Noble ability, and what this would do to his Upkeep Cost, which is paid in rather than . More information on this would be welcome. Remember that Random Abilities are determined at the start of the campaign, and will not change during the game. However, a Hero may select different Random Abilities for the next campaign. Category:Abilities Category:Hero Abilities